


Within and Without

by azoazo



Category: Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Major Illness, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-07-29 00:27:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20073112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/azoazo/pseuds/azoazo
Summary: Claire has never felt like she fit in with her family.  After her father passes, leaving her estranged from her family, she drops everything and moves to Mineral Town, hoping to start her life over with a clean slate.  But just when she's finally happy, things take a turn for the worst, and she's faced with the possibility of being unable to stay in Mineral Town.  Stuck at a crossroads, Claire must make a choice; sacrifice her pride and let her walls come down, or sacrifice herself to live the life she'd dreamt of living.





	1. Chapter 1

The sun was beating down hard that day, its bright rays lighting up the valley. Despite the fact it wasn’t summer yet, the heat felt almost tropical, frying away the rest of the cherry blossoms and drying up puddles just a day after rain. Spring was drawing to a close, as was Claire’s first season living in Mineral Town. 

She sighed, pushing her bangs from her forehead as she sat on her front porch. The sun was beginning to set, casting just enough of a shadow for her to find some shade. While she still had more crops to water that day, she was more than happy to take a short break. Looking out on her farm, she couldn’t help but think back about how she got there in the first place.

Ah, yes… How could she forget that fraudulent advertisement? She was so excited to get away from her old life, finally free to do what she wanted without the prying eyes of her disapproving family, and was on the first ferry to Mineral Town, only to find her idyllic farm was really an overgrown, abandoned lot. But in just a few short weeks, she managed to whip it back up into shape, and was even able to afford some animals, too. While it might have been rough, she’d built herself a safe haven in a place she’d always wanted to be.

If she was being honest, she didn’t mind the monotony of her old life working a nine-to-five desk job; no, it wasn’t because of that that she wanted to get away. Her family had always been hard on her for not becoming a doctor, or a lawyer, or something like that. Apparently, their definition of underachieving was the average person’s idea of working their ass off.

Everyone except her father was hard on her. He was kind and understanding, and the one string that kept her attached to the rest of her family. But he’d passed away the year before - despite Claire’s pleading for him to look after himself - from a perfectly preventable disease. Of course, with his passing Claire was immediately left an odd one out, and became estranged from the rest of her family in the blink of an eye. So when the opportunity came to drop everything and start anew, she didn’t think twice about what she’d do.

“Things used to be so much simpler…” She thought aloud, picking up her watering can and heading out to finish her daily chores. “But at least in Mineral Town, I’ve found people I can really trust. And they’re happy I’m a farmer! You hear that, mom?!”

Claire grumbled to herself as she trudged over to the field. “Dad always wanted me to do what I wanted, and now that I’ve finally got the chance to become what I’ve always dreamed of… I hope I can make him proud.”

If she was being honest, though, she was a little bit worried about her future. The same illness that her father had, her two brothers had inherited as well. While the two of them worked generally sedentary jobs, Claire wasn’t sure how she’d fare on the farm if symptoms of her own started to arise. While she tried not to worry too much about it, it was always chewing at the back of her mind.

“Well, whatever- I’m twice as strong and half as stubborn as my old man… I’ll be fine...” She said, though her tone was strained as she lugged her watering can to the next patch of crops. “At least I’ll be fine once I stop spending hours a day watering crops!!”

She dropped it to the ground with a huff after finishing with the last of her watering, heaving a sigh as she stretched her shoulders.

“Seriously, I’m going to be a bodybuilder this time next year if I have to keep this up… Maybe I can have Saibara fix me up something a little more efficient so I don’t break my damn back.”

And so she emptied out the rest of the water in the pond, swinging the (much lighter) watering can in her hand as she made her way into town. The bell of the shop rang out as she stepped inside, greeting Saibara as she approached the counter.

“Evenin’ lass, what can I help you with?” He asked, his tone friendly.

“I was wondering if there were any way to make this here watering can work a bit… Uh, better?” Claire replied, handing it over to Saibara as he beckoned for it.

“Hm, yes… yes…” The elder chimed idly, giving it a once-over. It sure is a pitiful thing, all dented- Hell, I’d barely call it a watering can!” 

He was laughing, though mostly to himself, as he set it down next to him. “Give me two days and I’ll have something ready for you. It’s cheaper if you bring the ore yourself, but we can supply it for you for a small fee.”

At Saibara’s suggestion, Claire whipped her rucksack off her back, rummaging around and plucking out a few small pieces of silver ore.

“Would these suffice, then?” She asked, passing them once more to Saibara.

“Ohh, quite so!” He chuckled, though his laughs were cut short by the sound of someone else’s voice

“You mine those yourself?” The quizzical tone of Gray’s voice rang out; he wasn’t someone Claire knew all that well, but the few times they’d talked he was rather curt with her. She simply nodded, turning back to Saibara a moment later.

“It’s cash on delivery, it’ll be 2000 gold, come back the day after tomorrow with the cash and this can’s all yours.” He smiled at her as she turned to leave the shop.

“Sounds good, thank you sir!” Claire smiled, nodding goodbye to the two blacksmiths.

“Such formalities, what a polite young lady…” Saibara mused as the door fell shut behind her. A quiet ‘yeah…’ was all that Gray said in response as he returned to his work.

* * *

“Claire, Claire! Wait up!”

A timid, clear voice called out to the blonde as she was making her way back to her farm. She turned around to see Mary - her best friend in Mineral town - chasing after her, a bright smile on her face.

“Mary, what’s up? It’s not like you to be so excited!” She laughed, greeting her with a warm smile.

“Claire, I just finished this book, it’s soooo great… Here, here, take it!” Mary replied, her entire demeanor alight with joy as she held the book out to Claire. While she wasn’t much of a reader before coming to Mineral Town, Claire came to enjoy novels and the wonderful company of Mary that came with them.

“Ohh, don’t mind if I do!” She smiled, eagerly taking the book from her friend and eyeing the cover. “A romance novel, huh? You sure do read a lot of these.”

“I just find them so alluring and wonderful… I’ll never be like the heroines in those books though, so I have to live vicariously through them.”

At her sheepish explanation, Claire sighed, ruffling up Mary’s hair. “Oh, hush, you’re only 19! You have years ahead of you. Hell, I’m two years older than you and I’ve been single my whole life, but I haven’t lost hope, so neither should you!”

“Right, right…” Mary laughed, fixing her hair. “Well I ought to be home for dinner, but be sure to read that! I promise you’ll love it!”

“Will do- I’ll see you later!” Claire called back as her friend scurried off down the street, hurrying back home. She smiled, gingerly placing the novel in her coat pocket as she turned to head home.

Nary a minute passed before she was intercepted once again, this time by the oh-so-mischievous Ann, who had an oh-so-mischievous grin on her face.

“Hey, hey, Claire-bear! Wanna grab a drink?” She asked, a sparkle in her eye. “Karen and I are headed to the winery for a little fun!”

“If it were any other day I’d say hell yeah, but,” - Claire replied, scrubbing at her eyes - “This heat has me exhausted, I’m ready for a nap…”

“Aww, you’re no fun!”

“Can I take a raincheck for tomorrow night?”

“That’s the spirit! Alright, I’ll seeya then- tomorrow night, 7 sharp!”

“Aye aye, cap’n” Claire saluted lazily, moving once more to make her way back home. Her shoulders slouched with fatigue, and he had a sheen of sweat on her cheeks from working so hard under the blazing sun. Working in Mineral Town may have been leagues more of a challenge than her old job in the city, but one thing was for certain; she was, for the first time in a long time, truly happy.

  



	2. Chapter 2

Claire groaned as sunlight filtered through her curtains. There was a dull ache in her head and she felt groggier than she had in a long time. She was beginning to regret agreeing to party with Ann.

“I didn’t even drink that much…” She grumbled, rolling out of bed and running a comb through her hair. “Ugh… Oh, well, nothing a little coffee can’t fix.”

The blond lazily went about her morning, idly eating her breakfast as she made a quick to-do list before heading out the door. Her new watering can would be ready that morning, so she’d go pick it up once the blacksmith opened in a few hours. Until then, she had to look after her chickens, feed her dog, milk her cows…

“So many things to do… So so many…” She sang, her voice limp with exhaustion. “Just one day off, that’s all I ask for… Just one…”

She hummed her woes to herself all morning, lazily making her way from coop to barn and back again. Each time she passed her field, her lip curled in disdain. Even after all that work taking care of her animals, she still had her whole field to water. With a sigh, she headed north, closing her farm gate and heading to the blacksmith.

“Next season, I’m not making this same mistake again… No way am I filling my entire yard with crops again - I’ll just plant a few of each. The money’s nice, but sheesh, I can hardly catch a break…” Claire sighed as she approached the door, stretching her arms above her and relishing in how her joints cracked and popped back into place.

“You sure do complain a lot, huh?”

The patronizing voice of a certain redheaded blacksmith brought her from her thoughts. Claire whipped around to face him, her back against the door.

“What? I’m right.” He said, tone clipped. “Anyway, what are you doing here?”

“At the blacksmith? I’m here for my watering can.”

“It’s Thursday.”

“Oh… I’m sorry, I didn’t realize. I’ll come back tomorrow-”

“Nonsense!” Saibara’s voice rang from behind her, opening the door and nearly causing her to fall backwards. She caught herself, turning now to face the elderly man. “I can make a special exception, it’s just a pick-up, no big spectacle- Come in, come in!” He ushered Claire and Gray inside, and Claire couldn’t help but notice the pointed look Saibara gave his grandson. She was sure it was just a little family quarrel, and that they’d probably deal with it after she left, but-

“Now, Gray here tried to make that watering can for you, but no…” Saibara said, his tone condescending as he ventured to the back of the shop. “No, no, it was all wrong, so I had to remake it from scratch. I hope it is up to y-”

“The hell was wrong with it?! It was fine!” Gray spat back, and Claire flinched at the venom in his words. “Why’d you throw away my work?!”

“If it’s not up to scratch, I refuse to sell it!” Saibara tutted, shaking his head as he returned to the counter with the can. “You’ll mind your temper while we have customers. And don’t think I didn’t hear just how rude you were to Claire while you two were outside! You’re-”

“O-oh, no, it’s really okay!” Claire pleaded, feeling more than awkward being caught up in a family spat. “Gray and I were just joking around, he meant no harm!”

“That so?” 

“Uh… Yeah,” Gray said, glancing at Claire before turning back to his work. “It was just a joke.”

“Well, well, I’m glad my grandson has  _ some _ semblance of friendship with someone in this town- it’s about time, I’d say!” Saibara laughed, and Claire was quick to shell out her gold, hastily grabbing her watering can and heading out the door. She said a quick “Thank you both!” Before zipping back to her farm as fast as possible. Anything to get away from being a spectator to family drama…

“Say, Gray, didn’t Claire look a little pale?” Saibara asked as the blond haired girl left the shop. “I hope your little outburst didn’t cause her any stress.”

“She’s probably just hungover,” Gray replied, rolling his eyes. “Her and Ann were at the Inn last night, giggling and knocking ‘em back til midnight.”

Saibara laughed at that, closing the till and heading to lock up the shop. “Well I’m sure you had a restful sleep last night! Now make sure that grate is spotless before you head out for the day - I don’t want even a single bit of dust in this shop!”

Gray could only groan in response.

-

The rest of Claire’s afternoon went by with - thank the goddess - much less circumstance than the altercation at the blacksmith’s. While watering her field was still a chore she loathed, it was a welcome distraction.

Much of her crops were ready to be harvested as well, and so she set off, filling basket after basket with turnips and potatoes. Zack would be there in an hour to pick up her daily shipment, so she needed to get a move on. With vigor, she piled the baskets in her shipping bin, finishing at 4:50 sharp.

Pleased with herself, she was quick to take a well-deserved break, laying down on the grass, free to enjoy a few moments of rest. Her headache was starting to get the best of her anyway, and she was feeling a bit lightheaded. After all she’d been through that day, she felt ready to hit the hay.

A few minutes passed before Claire heard Zack’s familiar voice playfully chime out.

“Well, well, I certainly didn’t take you for the lazy type, Claire!” He laughed, unlatching the lid of her shipping bin.

“For your information, I just barely laid down,” she laughed, though despite his playful chastising she made no attempt to get up. “And we both know I am not lazy! I’m one of the hardest working farmers in the whole town!”

“You’re also one of the only farmers in the whole town.”

“It still counts…”

Zack laughed again, too enveloped in his work to hold much of a conversation. Claire could see that he was sizing up just how much she’d managed to cram into her bin that day, and stepped in.

“Hey, I know it’s a lot - want some help?” She said, moving to stand up. But at she lifted herself from the ground, her vision blurred, and she fell back down, seeing stars. She sound of Claire hitting the ground brought Zack’s attention away from his work.

“You okay?” He asked. “All that layin’ around has you clumsy now, I guess!” His tone was joking, but as he noticed Claire looking dizzy as she sat up, it turned into concern immediately. “You’re looking kind of pale, Claire; are you sick?”

“Maybe…” she said, her voice sounding distant in her ears. “I just felt a little lightheaded all of a sudden. Don’t think I handle this late spring heat too well.” She took a breath, and tried to get up again; this time she managed to get her balance for a moment, and was just about to wave off Zack’s concern, when another spell washed over her, and she nearly toppled over. She would have hit the ground had Zack not grabbed her by the arm just in time.

“Whoa, whoa, hang in there, Claire. I’ll take you to the clinic- they’ll get you fixed up.”

“Guess I… Really don’t handle the heat well…” She huffed, only the slightest tinge of humour in her voice. She could vaguely feel as Zack looped her arm around his shoulder, helping her from her farm across town. As the faintness subsided, her splitting headache came back, and she couldn’t help but notice an aching feeling in her chest. 

Wincing at her discomfort, she did her best to keep up pace with Zack. No matter what was wrong with her, she didn’t want anybody to think she was fragile or weak, and being practically dragged to the Doctor was a one-way ticket to her most humiliating nightmare. She was grateful that it was evening, and that most of Mineral Town were home now; less people she’d have to worry about explaining things to.

But as they rounded the corner from her farm, Claire - spacey as she was - noticed Gray staring back at the two of them, and she couldn’t help but groan internally.

_ ‘Looks like I’ll have some explaining to do…’ _


End file.
